Sir Alex Ferguson is set for a summer clear-out at Manchester United after tying down Michael Owen to a new one-year deal at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson is set for a summer clear-out at Manchester United after tying down Michael Owen to a new one-year deal at Old Trafford.

The United manager has been quick to secure Owen for another 12 months before embarking on one of the busiest close-seasons of his 25 years at the club.

Ferguson has more than £100m to spend in the transfer market as he bids to close the gap on European champions Barcelona and defend the Premier League crown.

But he must clear the decks to make way for a host of targets that include Ashley Young, Luka Modric, Wesley Sneijder, David de Gea and Jack Rodwell.

Ferguson has already said goodbye to the retiring Paul Scholes, Edwin van der Sar and Gary Neville, while the injury-prone Owen Hargreaves has not been offered a new contract.

Other names that look set for the exit include goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak and fringe players Wes Brown, Darron Gibson and Gabriel Obertan.

Mame Biram Diouf and Ritchie de Laet, who have both been out on loan, will also be allowed to leave for a combined £6m, while Federico Macheda continues to be tracked by clubs in Italy.

But it is Dimitar Berbatov who will bring in the biggest amount of money in United’s attempt to offset their summer spending, with bids above £12m likely to be enough to tempt Ferguson to sell.

The Bulgarian striker could also be used as a makeweight in any deal with Tottenham for Modric.

While United’s controversial owners, the Glazer family, are prepared to bankroll Ferguson’s biggest spending spree since the summer of 2007 – when he signed Carlos Tevez, Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves – they also want to see him recoup as much as possible on players seen as surplus to requirements.

The departures of Scholes, Van der Sar, Hargreaves and Neville has rid the club of four of its highest earners.

And the further sales of several fringe players could bring in combined transfer fees in excess of £20m.

Ferguson is determined to build his next great team after seeing his Premier League champions given a footballing lesson by Barcelona in last Saturday’s Champions League final.

Decision

He reluctantly accepted Scholes’ decision to retire this week and knows Ryan Giggs cannot continue to play such a pivotal role in his side.

He is targeting some of the best young players in England and across the globe in his attempt to win another Champions League title before he retires.

Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck, are also due to return from season-long loans at Sunderland and Wigan respectively, while members of the successful FA Youth Cup winning squad will be given more opportunities next year.

That means there is no room for the players who have struggled to establish themselves at Old Trafford.

Kuszczak has been left in no doubt that he has no chance of succeeding Van der Sar as United’s No1.

Atletico Madrid keeper De Gea is expected to complete an £18m move in the coming weeks, while Anders Lindegaard has already been signed as cover.

West Brom lead the chase to take the Pole back to the Hawthorns for a fee of around £4m.

Brown looks certain to be allowed to leave after falling behind Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans, John O’Shea and the Da Silva brothers in the defensive pecking order.

Gibson and Obertan have continually flattered to deceive when given chances in the cup competitions – and with Ferguson targeting wide and central options in the transfer market, their first-team opportunities will be virtually snuffed out.

Portsmouth hope to make De Laet a permanent signing after a successful loan spell at Fratton Park, with manager Steve Cotterill prepared to pay around £2m.

But Premier League newcomers Norwich are also interested in the Belgian defender, who has a year left on his United contract.

Diouf made 30 appearances for Blackburn last season and United will listen to offers for the Senegalese striker after handing Owen a new deal.

Less certain is the future of Macheda, who spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Sampdoria.

The 19-year-old Italian is highly regarded at United – but much like Gerard Pique when he left Old Trafford for Barcelona three years ago – Macheda’s lack of first-team opportunities could see him seek a return to his homeland.

Ferguson would want at least £6m for a player he once described as having the star quality of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Berbatov may want to finish his career at Old Trafford – but his Champions League final snub looked to be the last nail in the coffin for his time at United.

Ferguson has already made his mind up about which members of his current squad have futures at the club.

He has been frank about the need to rise to the challenge set by Pep Guardiola’s brilliant Barcelona – and knows only players of the highest quality will allow him to do that.

And after seeing fringe players hammered 4-0 by relegated West Ham at Upton Park in the Carling Cup and labour to FA Cup successes against League One Southampton and non-league Crawley Town, it is clear to the United boss that a number of them will not be able to fill the gaps left by Scholes, Giggs and Neville.

Our newspapers include the flagship Manchester Evening News - Britain's largest circulating
regional daily with up to 130,485 copies - as well as 20 local weekly titles across Greater
Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire.

Free morning newspaper, The Metro, published every weekday, is also part of our portfolio,
delivering more than 200,000 readers in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Business Week is the region’s number one provider of business news andfeatures, targeting a bespoke business audience with 12,687 copies every Thursday.

Every month, M.E.N. Media’s print products reach 2.2 million adults, spanning from Accrington
in the north to Macclesfield in the south.